My oldest daughter, Carrie, is now in her fifties, but when she was two, I had a nightmare unlike any I had ever had before, or since. It took place in the town I grew up in, although I hadn’t lived there in many years.
The Nightmare: At the top of what we always called, ‘The Big Hill’ as children, there was a huge black castle. It was frightening and run down with yellow lights that flickered eerily through the windows at night.
I had just tucked Carrie in her bed and I was in the kitchen talking with my mother at the table. I was happy to be having a conversation with her since we actually lived several states away and I missed her.
Suddenly, I knew something was wrong and Carrie wouldn’t be in her bed. I ran up the stairs to her room — she was gone. Mother and I searched everywhere, calling her name, and I remember feeling an awful dread, thick and cloying, and I was terrified.
As it only happens in a dream, I knew where she would be. I would have to climb to the black castle on the hill to save her from a horrifying death. There would be a flesh-eating troll there, huge, ugly, and I could feel evil coming from him even from where I was at home.
Once inside, the hallways in the castle were dimly lit by candles. I was barefoot, making no sound at all, as I searched for where the troll had taken my two-year-old daughter.
I came to a huge wooden door and I knew, behind that door I would find Carrie. I opened the door and I was at the bottom of a dark spiral staircase. The steps were stone and continued up and around and up and around again and again, like they only do in dreams, or nightmares. I couldn’t find the top! What would I do if I couldn’t get to the top?
Then I saw another huge wooden door. There was a triangular window at the top and I stood on my tiptoes to peek inside. It was also dark, but I could make out more steps going up to the right, just inside the door.
To the left, and down a few steps, was a floor and it was crowded with children. They were all sitting there quietly looking up. To the right and against the far wall was a huge pile of what looked like bones. They were white and shiny.
I followed where their eyes were looking and I looked up, too. At the top of some stone stairs was a stage, or a platform. In the middle, was the ugliest beast I had ever seen, sitting at a table. He was a giant and I knew he was a troll.
I could hear him loudly slurping, as I opened the door just wide enough to slip inside. The smell in the room was sickening and I watched as he cleaned the meat from a bone. Again, that heavy feeling of dread came over me and it filled me with terror.
Oh my God, No! One by one, he was eating the children! Oh my God, I had to find Carrie! What if I was already too late?
Being as quiet as I could be, I ran down the cold stone steps to the floor. Crawling along, I looked into the face of every child, searching for my Carrie.
I found her in the back of the room and I held my finger to my lips for her to be very quiet. I took her hand and pulled her along with me toward the huge wooden door at the top of the stairs and our escape.
Suddenly, there was a terrible guttural roar that filled the room. I took a quick look. The troll was on his feet and pointing a long bone right at us! Another horrible roar! Oh my God! Now it was coming down the stairs! I picked Carrie up and ran through the darkness.
Then I was being shaken. Oh My God, had it caught me?
I opened my eyes to find Carrie’s dad shaking me, “Cath’ wake up, you’re having a bad dream. You were screaming.”
“I was screaming?” I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to clear my mind. Screaming … yes, I’m sure I was …
I jumped out of bed and crossed the hall to find Carrie safe and asleep in her bed. I sobbed and wiped at the relief streaming down my face.
I don’t ever want another nightmare like that again ...
Published Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018
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As a child I had the same reoccurring dream for many years. I thought nothing of it at the time, apart from I always feared getting lost and so this is why I dreamt of it.
The dream was always a black shadow chasing me, and I was lost in the city.
Four days after my boy was murdered in the city a seven foot black aura appeared in my front room . It didn't scare me I was just intreagued. Friends visiting that evening and as they did it vanished.
Good morning CJ could you not see the face in the picture?